Davao workers: End unfair labor practice

Subscribe Now May 02, 2013 at 08:44am

WORKERS and members of militant groups joined the Labor Day celebration in Davao City on Wednesday to call on the government to put a stop on unfair labor practices and prioritize the workers over the capitalists.

Workers from all over Southern Mindanao trooped to the Freedom Park where they held a program before marching towards the Rizal Park for another rally Wednesday afternoon.

Kilusang Mayo Uno-Southern Mindanao chair Romualdo Basilio said they are demanding for a P125 across-the-board wage hike and an end to massive contractualization happening not only in the Davao Region, but true all over the country.

It was learned that out of the estimated four million laborers in the Philippines, 90 percent of them are contractuals and only four million are "unionized" with only about 220,000 workers enjoying a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the companies they are working for.

Basilio said contractualization is prevalent from small businesses to the multi-national companies, adding the government is not doing enough to stop unjust labor practice and that the workers are left at the mercy of the big companies.

Joel Maglunsod, vice president for external affairs of Anakpawis Partylist, also expressed his dissatisfaction.

Maglunsod lambasted President Benigno Aquino III's boasting of increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Gross National Product (GNP), saying that only foreign investors and hacienderos felt the effect of the increases.

He added that such announcements are cover ups for the glaring problem of unemployment and joblessness in the country which cannot be hidden.

When asked about the government conducting job fairs, Maglunsod said, "They're just trying to show that they're doing something,” adding that he believes that the government is merely making reasons for people not to blame them for the situation of laborers.

Maglunsod also shared his beliefs that such a scheme is merely in place to attract foreign investors and capitalists, especially noting the president's family's involvement with Hacienda Luisita.